Festive Family Favourite :: Summer Pudding

Summer Pudding for me is a new family favourite and l had no idea it even existed until l met my husband.

Our first big family Christmas together his mum served Summer Pudding for dessert, which l had never even heard of let along tried. Well l was in heaven as soon as that sweet pudding hit my mouth. Covered with fresh thick cream this is the easiest and healthiest (kind of!) festive pudding to serve at Christmas time.

Go on give it a whirl, you’ll be hooked! Enjoy!

Summer Pudding :: Serves 6

1kg mixed fresh berries
50 ml water
175 g caster sugar
8 or so stale slices good white bread, thinly sliced

1. Combine three-quarters of the berries with the sugar and water in a small saucepan and gently heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove and add more sugar if too tart. Add almost all of the remaining berries and strain the fruit, keeping all the juices.

2. Remove the crusts from the bread, and cut a piece to fit the base of a one-litre pudding basin or bowl. Cut the remaining slices into triangles or rectangles to cover the sides of the bowl. Now that you've assembled the shell, take each cut slice, dip it lightly into the reserved juices, and return it to its position in the bowl.

3. Add the berries, and some of their juices, and top with a final layer of bread, cutting to fit. Press lightly until the juices rise to the top, covering the bread. Place a saucer on top, weight it with a can, and refrigerate overnight. Refrigerate the remaining juices as well.

4. To unmould, ease a knife between pudding and bowl, place a serving plate on top and invert. Spoon the reserved juices on top and arrange the reserved berries on top. Serve with crème fraiche, pouring cream or yoghurt.